As members of the Official Opposition, one of our most important jobs is to keep an eye on what the government is doing. This is especially true when a new government comes into office. People naturally wonder: Will this new government actually behave differently from the last one? In politics, actions matter far more than words.

Lately, I’ve noticed that Prime Minister Carney’s government often calls itself the “new” Liberal government. They clearly want Canadians to think they are different from the previous Liberal government. But when we look at what they’re actually doing, in some areas things haven’t changed at all.

Here’s an example. Most Canadians know that if you owe money to the federal government, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can garnish your bank account or seize your assets. Sometimes this happens with little warning or without a clear explanation. During the pandemic, some Canadians—through no fault of their own—received CERB overpayments. Now many are getting notices demanding repayment, even when they simply don’t have the money.

But while the government takes a strict approach with everyday Canadians, it takes a very different approach with large corporations. Every year, the federal government quietly writes off large amounts of corporate debt. In the most recent fiscal year, these write offs added up to over $5 billion. 

Yet the government refuses to say which corporations had their debts forgiven or why. This secrecy is the same practice used by the previous Liberal government, despite the new one claiming things have changed.

If taxpayers’ money is being forgiven on this scale, Canadians deserve to know who is receiving these benefits and why. That’s why my Conservative colleague, Adam Chambers, the MP for Simcoe North, has introduced Bill C 230. This bill would require the government to create a public registry listing any corporate debt of $1 million or more that is waived, written off, or forgiven.

It would include the company’s name, the amount forgiven, and the law that applied. Importantly, this registry would not apply to individual Canadians—only to large corporate debts.

This change is simple and fair. When ordinary Canadians are expected to repay every dollar, often under threat of enforcement, it is wrong for the government to quietly forgive massive debts for corporations behind closed doors. A public registry would help restore trust in how tax dollars are managed and improve transparency for everyone.

My question to you this week: Do you think the “new” Liberal government should support this proposal?

Please join the discussion on my Facebook page, or reach me at [email protected] or 1 800 665 8711.